Penalty Sympathy

REUBEN Reid was happy to get off the mark for the season, scoring Argyle’s home winner against Rochdale from the penalty spot...

...but admits he would have been unhappy if he had been in the opposition line-up.

Reuben slotted home the 25th-minute right-foot spot-kick for the game’s only goal after referee Brendan Malone decided Marvin Morgan had been impeded by Dale goalkeeper Josh Lillis.

However, Reuben said: “I don’t think it was a penalty, but the ’keeper is always taking a risk by coming out so far.

“All the striker has got to so is touch [the ball]; if [the goalkeeper] touches the striker, the ref is going to have to give the penalty – that’s the way the game is.

“We could go away at Morecambe next week and I get scythed down by the ’keeper, and the ref will wave play on. That’s just the way it goes. It’s the same with offside decisions. You take them.”

Take the opportunity, Reuben did.

“For the majority of teams I’ve played for, I’ve always been the nominated penalty-taker, and I’m comfortable doing that,” he said.

“It’s a high-pressure situation. When I was growing up watching football, it used to be a guaranteed goal, but now things have changed – the goalies look a lot bigger and the ball looks small!

“It’s just a case of keeping your head. I always tell myself ‘You can only miss’. I pick a corner of the goal and go for that corner. If the ’keeper gets across and saves it, you say ‘well done’ to him.

“I’ll have my corner already decided before the game. I’ll know exactly where I’m going. I concentrate on hitting [the ball] well with enough speed.

“Of course goals are nice and, if you are a forward, your job is to score goals and create goals –
and me scoring a goal has helped the team win.”